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WOODWARD: Okay. Any further questions? All right, you gentlemen may be seated. WeÓll
<br />call the next group of testifiers. We have four more, Gregory Smith, Joyce Folena, I guess itÓs J.
<br />O. Sumida, and Jiro Sumada, sorry if I butchered your names but -. Oh, we have one person
<br />entered twice. They just spelled the name differently. Okay. All right, if you all will raise your
<br />right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth today befo
<br />Commission?
<br />
<br />TESTIFIERS: I do.
<br />
<br />WOODWARD: Very good. Okay, Mr. Smith, you signed up first. If youÓll give us your name
<br />and address, and then you may begin.
<br />
<br />SMITH: Yes, sir. My name is Gregory T. Smith. I live in the Phoa area, past Phoa, south of
<br />Mile Marker 10. My mailing address is Post Office Box 2005, Phoa, HawaiÒi. As a citizen, I
<br />have a real question about this development, particularly when it comes to the road
<br />infrastructure. Now being just the normal citizen, I assumed in
<br />infrastructure. And the problem with this development is not th
<br />Mr. Ogasawara worked really hard and wanted to develop his property. I have no problem with
<br />that or the businesses whatsoever. I do have a problem when my safety is impacted by a
<br />development, IÓm very concerned. Because on that same intersection, the intersection of Old
<br />Phoa Road and Highway 130, we were in two near accidents, my partner and I, Joyce, coming
<br />within inches of being hit. All right? Now being the dummy that I am, the dumb citizen that I
<br />am, I assumed that my County and my state officials will look out after our interests, primarily
<br />one being of safety; and roads are safety. The point of the matter is that these, the whole area,
<br />the Highway 130 intersection, the Malama Market intersection, and the Kahakai-Old Phoa Road
<br />intersection right in front of the, adjacent to both the Longs and Pahoa Auto Parts, are extremely
<br />unsafe intersections. On the morning of the tsunami, we had to wait 5minutes. We were
<br />thinking like everybody else, oh, weÓre going to run down, get some fuel in case, you know, in
<br />case we canÓt get fuel. And we had to wait five minutes to get to that intersection. It was
<br />jammed up as the photographs from the MetcalfÓs point out, all the way in to Old Phoa Road
<br />down into the OgasawaraÓs gas station.
<br />
<br />And, according, and we checked it out, yes, there were two accidents that morning on, you know,
<br />that morning in four hours, two. So the point of the matter is IÓve, you know, IÓve lived in many
<br />different states and there is always a contingency clause in any development and that means, and
<br />particularly where I came from in California, you donÓt lay, you donÓt even build the first
<br />building unless the road infrastructure is in first. I mean the concrete is laid, thereÓs no
<br />promise -. ItÓs there before you start your construction, period. And it has been that way ever
<br />since, other states. IÓve lived in eight different states, just to buy that. Okay. This is a disaster
<br />ready to happen. And we do, you know, I really appreciate the OgasawaraÓs opening up, you
<br />know, Highway 130 to Kahakai. ThatÓs a help. But that is only a little bit of the medication.
<br />That just might make the road workable, possibly. But if one ac
<br />those intersections, that whole place is gridlocked, period, end of conversation. And if you have
<br />serious injury, how the heck are you going to get your emergency vehicles in? Anyway, thank
<br />you so much.
<br />
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<br /> EXHIBIT A
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